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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29718462">Where the Present and Future Meet</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/pickledragon/pseuds/pickledragon'>pickledragon</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>BoJack Horseman</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Dreams, Ficlet, First Meetings, Fluff, Gen, Imagination, no beta we die like secretariat :(, too many ruthies omg</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-02-26</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-02-26</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-15 18:41:14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>947</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29718462</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/pickledragon/pseuds/pickledragon</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Ruthie, meet Ruthie!</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Princess Carolyn &amp; Ruthie (BoJack Horseman), Ruthie the Porcupine &amp; Ruthie the Pink Cat (Bojack Horseman)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>8</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Where the Present and Future Meet</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>haven't finished season 6 yet, so apologies for any inaccurate older ruthie characterization!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Ruthie is a cat of routine: careful to always tie her hair up just so to impress the dress-code enforcement bots, always picks a space suit in a flattering shade of lavender next to her light pink fur. Every day, she walks into her classroom and gives the same presentation about her family tree - it always ends the same place: with her. She always imagines her many-greats grandmother, Princess Carolyn, smiling down on her then - like the presentations she gives reaches back through time and space to make everything she does worth it.</p><p>Ruthie is also not real, but she's never let that bother her too much.</p>
<p></p><div class="center">
  <p>-----</p>
</div>Princess Carolyn loves her daughter, loves being a mother, even if it's the hardest thing she's ever done. Even harder than getting Bojack Horseman a gig, sometimes. Her life has changed so much since she became a parent, and she wouldn't trade it for the world.<p>But sometimes, she misses the feelings she would get, imagining that perfect future in which everything worked out. Misses her hypothetical Ruthie, the one that could look on the present from a distance. Princess Carolyn wishes those two things could exist at the same time.</p><p>Well. Maybe they can.</p><div class="center">
  <p>-----</p>
</div>It's a nice day, in the hypothetical void where Ruthie lives: the sky as white and nonexistent as the walls of the classroom Princess Carolyn likes to pretend is real too. It doesn't really bother Ruthie - she's absolutely certain imagination is a preferrable state to actually existing in the future. Princess Carolyn never actually gave much thought to Ruthie's future, honestly: the geo-political ramifications would be staggering. Ruthie just lets her mind fill in the blanks for the comforting idea of a future descendant reciting her stories.<p>The uncertainty just makes it even more surprising, when suddenly, she's sitting in a park in LA.</p><p>The information is dropped succinctly in her head, couched around the pitch of an advertiser trying to sell the park as a photoshoot locale: the fountain bubbling, the pathway stones cool to the touch despite the sun. The park is gorgeous, and Ruthie herself is sitting in the shade of a lush tree.</p><p>"Well, this is new," she declares aloud to the empty park. Ruthie isn't really sure what's going on, but who is she to deny a little variety in Princess Carolyn's daydreams?</p><p>At that very moment, a ball of brown fur - a porcupine possibly?, tackles her, sending them both flying into the tall grass.</p><p>There are quills all over, but she barely feels a thing as the mysterious stranger helps her off the ground. Oh well, Ruthie couldn't call herself a Carolyn cat if she couldn't take a few lickings.</p><p>"Oh my gosh, you must be Ruthie! It's so nice to meet you!!" The porcupine sticks out one hand and waves wildly with the other, tiny bits of grass stuck along both her arms. "Super sorry about that, I was just so excited!"</p><p>Ruthie laughs, despite herself. "You're okay, don't worry. And you are...?"</p><p>"Ruthie!" Ruthie declares, eyes bright. "You're my namesake - I've always wanted to meet you!"</p><p>A few things click in Ruthie's brain all at once.</p><p>"Oh! Wow, I didn't think your mom would ever picture us in the same room together? I have no idea why I didn't think of that, I would have made a presentation!" Ruthie reaches over and picks a leaf off of Ruthie's head quills. "I hope I live up to the hype."</p><p>Ruthie smiles, buckteeth in a wide grin. "You already have! It's always so much fun hearing about what Mom imagines your life is like. And I love the shawl!"</p><p>Ruthie gives a little twirl, shaking the final bits of grass off of her spacesuit. "Aww, thank you! I commissioned it from the sewing robots myself."</p><p>The younger (probably only by a year or so) Ruthie pulls on the lapels of her oversized yellow jacket. "I'm not much for fashion, but I know style when I see it!"<br/>
They exchange grins. "Honestly, when Princess Carolyn decided she wanted to see what our meeting was like, I was a little skeptical, but you seem so cool!"</p><p>Ruthie laughs. "Right back at you, Quills. So-" She takes a seat on a picnic blanket, that conveniently appeared as soon as her legs started to tire. "How's your life right now? What's going on outside? Princess Carolyn hasn't had a lot of time to daydream lately."</p><p>Ruthie joins her, a soda in hand. "Good! And busy! You know how it is," she winks. "I'm headed to middle school in a week, so Mom's been running around between her new clients and picking up my supplies."</p><p>"Aw, that sounds great! Are you excited for anything?" Ruthie thinks of her computing classes, and her actually interesting homework due tonight.</p><p>"Definitely theater. I think I might be able to get a leading role in the play this year!"</p><p>"Oh wow, good luck Ruthie! You've got this!"</p><p>"Thanks! I've already recruited Uncle Todd to help me with my lines, so my odds are looking good! And Mom says I can do <i>most</i> things I set my mind to," she declares proudly.</p><p>Ruthie smiles to herself. "You seem really on top of everything - I'm glad your mom has such a sweet kid in her life. Thanks for coming to see me."</p><p>"No problem! You seem so professional and put together! It's super cool." Ruthie's eyes sparkle as she pulls the other Ruthie in for a less prickly hug. "I can't wait to be your many-greats grandmother too, one day."</p><p>Ruthie can feel her eyes welling up. "Me either, Ruthie. Me either."</p>
<p></p><div class="center">
  <p>-----</p>
</div>In her bed, fast asleep, Princess Carolyn smiles.
  </div></div>
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